The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09: Asia, Part IIHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09: Asia, Part II
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
[Sidenote: Arma Tartarorum.] Porrò Tartari in præcincto expeditionis habent
singuli duos arcus, cum magna pluralitate teloram: Nam omnes sunt
sagittarij ad manum et cum rigida et longa lancea. Nobilis autem in equis
preciosè phaleratis ferunt gladios, ver spatas breues et latas, scindentes
pro vno latere, et in capitibus galeas, de corio cocto, non altas, sed ad
capitis formara depressas.
Quicúnque de suis fugerit de prælio, ipso facto conseriptus est, vt
siquando inuentus fuerit occidatur. Si Castrum vel ciuitas obsessa se illis
reddere voluerit, nullam acceptant conditionem nisi cum morte omnium
inimicorum, vel si quis homo singularis se dederit victum nihilominus
ábsque vlla miseratione occidunt, detruncantes illi protinus aures, quas
postea coquentes, et in aceto (dum habuerint) ponentes mittunt inuicem ad
conuiuia pro extremo ferculo: [Sidenote: Tartari retro sagittantes.] dumque
ipsi in bellis arte fugam simulant, periculosum est eos insequi, quoniam
iaciunt sagittas à tergo, quibus equos et homines occidere norunt. Et
quando in prima acie comparant ad bellandum, mirabilitèr sese constringunt,
vt media pars numeri eoram vix credatur.
Generalitèr noueritis, omnes Tartaros habere paruos oculos, et modicam vel
raram barbam: in proprijs locis raro inter se litigant, contendunt, aut
pugnant, timentes legum pergraues emendas. Et inuenitur ibi rarius
vespilio, latro, fur, homicida, iniurians, adulter, aut fornicarius, quia
tales criminatores inuestigatione sollicita requiruntur, et sine
redemptione aliqua perimuntur.
Dum quis decumbit infirmus figitur lancea iuxta illum in terra, et cum
appropinquauerit morti, nullus remanet ìuxta ipsum, cum verò mortuus esse
scitur, confestim in campis, et cum lancea sepelitur.
The English Version.
And zee schulle undirstonde, that the empire of this gret Chane is devyded
in 12 provynces; and every provynce hathe mo than 2000 cytees; and of
townes with outen nombre. This contree is fulle gret. For it hathe 12
pryncypalle kynges, in 12 provynces. And every of tho kynges han many
kynges undre hem; and alle thei ben obeyssant to the gret Chane. And his
lond and his lordschipe durethe so ferre that a man may not gon from on hed
to another, nouther be see ne lond, the space of 7 zeer. And thorghe the
desertes of his lordschipe, there as men may fynde no townes, there ben
innes ordeyned be every iorneye, to resceyve bothe man and hors; in the
whiche thei schalle fynde plentee of vytaylle, and of alle thing, that hem
nedethe, for to go be the contree.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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